NORTH BROOKFIELD — North Brookfield Savings Bank (NBSB) announced its sponsorship of two playhouse builds through Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester’s Operation Playhouse, a program dedicated to supporting local military and veteran families while strengthening local communities.

As part of this initiative, NBSB helped bring to life two custom-built playhouses, which were gifted to deserving military families. These playhouses are more than just structures — they are spaces designed to inspire creativity, provide joy, and create lasting memories for children and their families. NBSB is always looking for ways to give back, and partnering with Habitat for Humanity was a perfect fit to help make a meaningful impact on the lives of local military members and their families to recognize their service and sacrifice.

“At North Brookfield Savings Bank, we are deeply committed to making a positive impact in our community,” Marketing Manager Audrey Shampine said. “Operation Playhouse not only offered us a fantastic team-building opportunity but also allowed us to give back to those who have given so much for our country. Supporting our local military families through such a meaningful initiative was an honor, and we are grateful to have been part of it.”

The builds were completed with the help of NBSB volunteers, reflecting the collaborative spirit that defines both Habitat for Humanity and NBSB. Through hands-on involvement and financial support, the bank continues to invest in initiatives that uplift local families and foster meaningful connections.

NBSB remains dedicated to community outreach efforts and looks forward to continuing partnerships that make a lasting difference in the lives of the communities it serves.

NORTH BROOKFIELD — North Brookfield Savings Bank (NBSB) announced the retirement of Donna Boulanger from the bank’s board of directors, effective Jan. 12. Boulanger’s retirement marks the end of an era of leadership, growth, and community impact that has defined her remarkable career.

Boulanger has been a driving force in the bank’s success over the years, most notably during her role as president and CEO from 2008 to 2022, as the first woman to lead the bank since it was founded. Her leadership steered the bank through a transformative period of growth and strategic expansion. Under her guidance as president and CEO, the bank’s asset size more than doubled, significantly strengthening its financial standing and enhancing its ability to serve customers throughout the community.

During her tenure, Boulanger led the acquisition of Family First Bank, a strategic move that expanded the bank’s footprint, enhanced service offerings, and strengthened its commitment to maintaining local banking relationships. Upon retirement from the bank, Boulanger served as chair of the NBSB board of directors. She also served on the boards of the Depositors Insurance Fund, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, and the Federal Reserve of Boston.

“Donna brought a wealth of knowledge and information to the bank board,” said Roland Gauthier, current chair of the NBSB board of directors. “Her presence and contributions at board meetings made all of us better board members. Donna gained the respect of her peers and the federal and state regulators, and the board will miss her guidance.”

NORTH BROOKFIELD — In the spirit of season of giving, North Brookfield Savings Bank (NBSB) announced the success of its annual food and toy drives, made possible by the generosity of its customers, community members, and employees. These initiatives reflect the bank’s ongoing commitment to supporting the communities it serves and making the holidays brighter for those in need.

During the annual food drive, the bank’s communities came together to donate more than 950 non-perishable food items and more than $1,000 in monetary donations to support families in need. These donations have provided crucial assistance to individuals facing food insecurity. To further amplify the impact, NBSB contributed an additional $3,000 in support of the food pantry operations.

NBSB’s annual food drive benefited the following food pantries: East Brookfield Baptist Church Food Pantry, Sharing Cupboard Food Pantry – First Congregational Church, St. Joseph’s Parish Food Pantry, First Congregational Church of North Brookfield, Trinity Episcopal Church – Jubilee Cupboard, St. Francis of Assisi Parish Food Pantry, and Palmer Food Share Inc.

The generosity from the bank’s communities continued through the annual toy drive, as community members, employees, and neighbors stepped up to the plate again to donate more than 430 toys for children in need, alongside more than $1,600 in monetary donations. To extend this support further, NBSB contributed an additional $1,250 to support those who need it the most and bring joy to children in the communities it serves this holiday season.

NBSB’s annual toy drive benefited the following toy organizations: North Brookfield Police Assoc. Toys for Joy Program, East Brookfield Toys for Joy Program, West Brookfield Police Assoc. Holiday Toy Program, Ware Police Department Christmas for Kids Program, Belchertown Firefighters Assoc. Adopt-a-Family Program, and Palmer Lions Club Holiday Toy Program.

“Community is at the heart of everything that we do, and the success of this year’s food and toy drives is a testament to the compassion and generosity of our customers, employees, and community members,” said Audrey Shampine, Marketing manager at North Brookfield Savings Bank. “We are proud to come together to create a positive difference for those in need during this season of giving.”

NORTH BROOKFIELD — North Brookfield Savings Bank (NBSB) announced the start of its annual toy drive, running Nov. 1-29.

This year’s toy drive continues the bank’s commitment to bring holiday cheer to those in need. Donations of new, unwrapped toys will be collected at all branch locations, where every contribution will support local toy programs that make a difference in the lives of children within the community.

In addition to accepting toys, NBSB branch locations will also welcome monetary donations. The bank will match each dollar contributed and will donate an additional $1 for every toy collected, up to $250 per branch. The Ware branch will specifically concentrate on gathering monetary donations to support the Ware Police and Fire Department’s Christmas for Kids Program. The Belchertown branch will concentrate on gathering physical toy donations and gift cards.

“Our annual toy drive is a testament to the generosity and compassion of our community members and employees. As a local community bank, we are proud to help brighten the holidays for children within our community” said Audrey Shampine, Marketing manager at North Brookfield Savings Bank. “We are truly grateful for the ongoing support that allows us to spread happiness to local families during the Season of Giving.”

Donations will be accepted at these North Brookfield Savings Bank branches:

• North Brookfield Branch, 9 Gilbert St. (partnering with the North Brookfield Police Assoc. Toys for Joy program);

• East Brookfield Branch, 100 West Main St. (partnering with the East Brookfield Toys for Joy program);

• West Brookfield Branch, 128 West Main St. (partnering with the West Brookfield Police Assoc. Holiday Toy Program and the Warren Patrolmen’s Assoc.);

• Ware Branch, 40 Main St. (partnering with the Ware Police and Fire Department Christmas for Kids Program — only accepting monetary donations for 2025);

• Belchertown Branch, 4 Daniel Shays Highway (partnering with the Belchertown Firefighters Assoc. Adopt-a-Family Program — only accepting physical toy and gift card donations for 2025); and

• Three Rivers Branch, 2060 Main St. (partnering with the Palmer Lions Club Holiday Toy Program).

NORTH BROOKFIELD — North Brookfield Savings Bank (NBSB) announced the success of its annual Back to School Supply Drive. This initiative reflects the bank’s ongoing commitment to supporting the communities it serves by ensuring local students have the essential tools for a successful academic year.

NBSB expresses heartfelt gratitude to community members, employees, and neighbors for their generosity. Thanks to these contributions, the bank successfully collected 852 school supply items and more than $700 in monetary contributions.

“Community is at the heart of everything that we do, and the success of our Back to School Supply Drive has allowed us to give back and provide students with the essential supplies they need to thrive,” said Audrey Shampine, Marketing manager at North Brookfield Savings Bank. “We are proud to hold our annual supply drive, making a positive impact for students as they prepare for the new school year.”

The bank partnered with Old Mill Pond School, West Brookfield Elementary School, North Brookfield Elementary School, East Brookfield Elementary School, Warren Community Elementary School, Brookfield Elementary School, Cold Spring School, and Stanley M. Koziol Elementary School through its Back to School Supply Drive.

NORTH BROOKFIELD — In the spirit of season of giving, North Brookfield Savings Bank (NBSB) announced the success of its annual food and toy drives. Due to the overwhelming generosity of community members, employees, and neighbors of NBSB, the food and toy drives made an impact in each of the bank’s communities.

During the NBSB annual food drive, held Oct. 1-25, the bank’s communities came together to donate 693 non-perishable food items and more than $1,000 in monetary donations. NBSB contributed an additional $3,000 to further support local food pantries. These donations provide crucial assistance to individuals facing food insecurity.

During the annual toy drive, which ran Nov. 1-29, community members, employees, and neighbors stepped up to the plate again, collecting 388 toys for children in need, alongside $1,432 in monetary donations. NBSB contributed an additional $1,500 to support those who need it the most and bring joy to children in the communities it serves this holiday season.

“Community is at the heart of everything that we do, and the success of this year’s food and toy drives is a testament to the compassion and generosity of our customers, employees, and neighbors,” said Audrey Moulton, Marketing manager at North Brookfield Savings Bank. “We are proud to hold our annual food and toy drives, making a positive impact for those in need during the season of giving.”

The bank partnered with the East Brookfield Baptist Church Food Pantry, Sharing Cupboard Food Pantry – First Congregational Church, St. Joseph’s Parish Food Pantry, First Congregational Church of North Brookfield, Trinity Episcopal Church – Jubilee Cupboard, St. Francis of Assisi Parish Food Pantry, and Palmer Food Share Inc. through its food drive.

During the annual toy drive, NBSB partnered with the North Brookfield Police Assoc. Toys for Joy Program, East Brookfield Toys for Joy Program, West Brookfield Police Assoc. Holiday Toy Program, Ware Police Department Christmas for Kids Program, Belchertown Firefighters Assoc. Adopt-a-Family Program, and Palmer Lions Club Holiday Toy Program.

NORTH BROOKFIELD — North Brookfield Savings Bank’s annual food-drive fundraiser, held from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31, helps provide much-needed food items to local neighbors and families in need.

For every item collected through the community, the bank will contribute $1, for a total of up to $3,000, to help fund the pantries’ operations. The bank’s goal is to collect at least 3,500 items in total, but the bank will also be contributing monetarily and is issuing a challenge to the community.

Community members are encouraged to drop off non-perishable food items, paper goods, toiletries, or any monetary donations at any of NBSB’s branches anytime throughout the month of October, with the proceeds going directly to local food pantries.

The branch locations are 9 Gilbert St. and 35 Summer St., North Brookfield; 100 West Main St., East Brookfield; 128 West Main St., West Brookfield; 40 Main St., Ware; 4 Daniel Shays Highway, Belchertown; and 2060 Main St., Three Rivers.

Examples of non-perishable and non-food items that pantries can use are paper towels, toilet paper, tissues, diapers, and baby wipes; deodorant, soap, toothbrushes, and toothpaste; dry and canned pasta and soups; canned meats, tuna, and salmon; peanut butter, jelly, tea bags, and ground coffee; canned vegetables and fruits; hot and cold cereals; rice; cake mixes, pancake mix, syrup, powdered milk, and granulated sugar; canned juices; baby food and baby formula; and granola and cereal bars.

“The unfortunate reality is that there are people who struggle with hunger close to home in our local communities. The food drive is a great opportunity for local community members and North Brookfield Savings Bank to work together to make a real difference in our communities by helping our neighbors,” said Nicole Syriac, Digital Marketing strategist at the bank. “It is always heartwarming to see the kindness and generosity displayed through this drive by our communities, and we are so grateful for the contributions they make each year.”

NORTH BROOKFIELD — The North Brookfield Savings Bank board of directors announced that Kaz Borawski has been appointed president and CEO, effective immediately.

“The board and I have been impressed by Kaz’s extensive and varied banking experience, and we look forward to continuing to work with Kaz to grow North Brookfield Savings Bank,” said Donna Boulanger, chairwoman of the bank’s board of trustees. “The board of directors has been impressed by his commitment to the bank, our employees, and the community.”

Borawski has more than 26 years of experience in industries including retail banking, investment banking, wealth management, and technology and operations at organizations such as JPMorgan Chase and MassMutual Financial Group. He has spent the last 13 years in community banking with United Bank, Merchants Bank, and Holyoke Credit Union before joining North Brookfield Savings Bank in February 2022 as chief financial officer.

Borawski holds a certificate from the New England School for the Financial Studies at Babson College, an MBA with a major in finance from Manhattan College in New York City, and a bachelor of business administration degree with a major in accounting from Baruch College, also in New York City.

“I would like to thank the board of directors for this opportunity to lead North Brookfield Savings Bank,” Borawski said. “Our bank has a valued team of employees who are dedicated to helping our customers with their financial needs, and I am proud to be the leader of this team. I look forward to building lasting relationships with our customers. North Brookfield Savings Bank is important to the communities we serve, and it has a long-standing tradition of excellence in customer service. The bank has enjoyed strong growth over the years and has a very strong capital position. I’m committed to continuing that legacy.”

NORTH BROOKFIELD — North Brookfield Savings Bank believes that each and every child, regardless of their financial circumstances, should have the opportunity to start the school year feeling confident, excited, and ready to learn. That is why the bank is kicking off the fifth year of its popular Back to School Supply Drive.

Throughout the month of August, North Brookfield Savings Bank will be collecting school supplies and monetary donations at all branch locations in North Brookfield, East Brookfield, West Brookfield, Ware, Belchertown, Palmer, and Three Rivers. All donations collected will be delivered to local public schools to be distributed to school children who may not have the needed supplies to start their year.

The bank kicked off the fundraiser by purchasing more than $500 in supplies. Branch employees, equipped with brightly patterned backpacks, lunchboxes, pencil cases, notebooks, and various other fun supplies, are getting creative with their back-to-school-themed tables, in hopes it will encourage those visiting the branch to donate as well.

Some suggested school-supply donation items that can be dropped at any North Brookfield Savings Bank branch location are new backpacks (unisex), lunchboxes, spiral notebooks, pocket folders, 12-inch standard rulers, #2 pencils, pencil sharpeners, pencil cases, colored pencils, washable markers, erasers, glue sticks, scissors, and tissues.

“North Brookfield Savings Bank is incredibly proud to once again host the Back to School Supply Drive. We want all children to begin the school year with the essential supplies they need, in turn giving them the confidence and enthusiasm that allows them to continue to learn successfully,” said Andrea Healy, first senior vice president and director of Human Resources. “It was so amazing to witness the generosity displayed during our first Back to School Supply Drive. Customers, community members, and our employees were so giving and really showed how much they care for the children of our schools. We look forward to seeing that same generosity this year.”